You know what every kid needs?? I mean besides the basics like clothes, water and Goldfish crackers (very important!) 
No.... not those things. What every kid needs and will try to find throughout their childhood is a secret hiding place, a cubbyhole, a hut, a fort... whatever you may call it.
I can remember a few. My friend Kristin and I used to spend every spare minute crouched down into the top of the playset in her backyard. It was shaped kind of like a little house and it made a great secret hiding place. We liked to get two copies of the same book (usually Sweet Valley Twins) and read together, turning the pages at the same time. That way we would always be able to know where the other person was and we could talk about what we read. Sometimes we came across confusing words and needed to figure out definitions together. For example the word "pelvis" which we both thought was a naughty word until we got up the nerve to go ask Kristin's Mom.
Lizzy catching some air. (Sorry about the underwear view.)
No.... not those things. What every kid needs and will try to find throughout their childhood is a secret hiding place, a cubbyhole, a hut, a fort... whatever you may call it.I can remember a few. My friend Kristin and I used to spend every spare minute crouched down into the top of the playset in her backyard. It was shaped kind of like a little house and it made a great secret hiding place. We liked to get two copies of the same book (usually Sweet Valley Twins) and read together, turning the pages at the same time. That way we would always be able to know where the other person was and we could talk about what we read. Sometimes we came across confusing words and needed to figure out definitions together. For example the word "pelvis" which we both thought was a naughty word until we got up the nerve to go ask Kristin's Mom.
Another favoritie hiding place was what we kids liked to call "the blanket closet". I know creative name. We used this closet to tell ghost stories, play hide and seek and I personally used it several times when I was crying and didn't want anyone to know. Since we've been staying here.... I decided to introduce this wonderful place to my kids. They didn't use it the same way I did. Instead... they hauled all of the blankets out of the closet and hid under them. They even take books and flashlights and burrow under the blankets in their own little holes. They don't like to go into the actual blanket closet because it's too scary. I liked our method better as their method seems a little .... suffocating.... but whatever. At least it's still a secret hiding place.
Since it's quite a bit of work to haul out all of those blankets... we never put them away again without a good jumping contest. 
It took me a long time to get a picture of Molly in mid-air since her jumps never got very high. They were more like face plants over and over into the blanket pile. But she loved it. Notice that she is missing one of her little shoes which may appear in a future picture.Since it's quite a bit of work to haul out all of those blankets... we never put them away again without a good jumping contest. Lizzy catching some air. (Sorry about the underwear view.)
And last... Andrew and ........the missing pink shoe. (Do your little boys LOVE to try on other people's shoes?)
Believe it or not... I am now going to iron. ( Dress shirts that have been in a box for 2 months qualify as one of those "rarely" moments.)
Earl and Rachel who put up with it every single time that we have to tell the "car accident" story again.
Even more Swimming
Okay.... lots and lots of ....
Swimming.
A few family outings... (farm country)
(Treehouse museum)
Family BBQ's....
And finally.... a good game of Peek-A-Boo
